Terms and Conditions

Booking

Tickets will only be purchased by us once you have confirmed your order via email after we have reviewed your order.

Tickets will be purchased once they are put up for sale by the China Railway Corporation.

Tickets are usually put up for sale 30 days before the travel date except tickets for D overnight trains that are released about 20 days ahead. However from time to time, tickets from certain train stations are not released on time. In these cases we monitor the situation daily and purchase tickets as soon as they are released.

You absolutely need to provide us with the exact names and passport numbers for all passengers. Names must be in the same order and exactly as on the passport without special characters (like accents or hyphen). If the passport number is incorrect, it will be impossible to pick up the ticket in question. If the name is incorrect, the train station employee at the ticket counter may sometimes refuse to issue the tickets or you may not be able to board the train.

The final invoice may differ from the estimation that we provided to you. The main reasons are: a change in exchange rate and the fact that sleeper prices vary between bottom to top beds.

Your first choice may not be available when we are trying to purchase the ticket. On certain dates, some trains sell out in seconds. Also, tickets for a certain train are allocated among the various stations along the route. If your train departs from a station with a low allocation, tickets may not be available.

All information with respect to train schedules provided on our website is sourced from the official China Railway website. The information is provided for reference only and we cannot guarantee its accuracy.

Schedules change regularly and such changes are out of our control. This is particularly the case for the schedules shown on our website for departures beyond 30 days.

Price and invoicing

The estimate is provided to you to assist you in your decision making and is not a firm price;

Our invoice is based on the actual price that we pay. We will provide you a copy of our payment slip.

Our invoices are sent by the end of the business day (China time) not necessarily immediately after the tickets are purchased.

Final price invoiced can be higher or lower than the estimate due to a change in exchange rate or depend on the bed that we purchase (low, middle and upper beds have different prices).

Child tickets are discounted and will be priced accordingly.

The total price includes the price paid for the ticket, our service fee plus the PayPal fee, if applicable.

Our exchange rates are based on the cash rate offered by our banks for the purchase of RMB, Wells Fargo for US dollars, Commonwealth Bank for Australian dollars; and RBC for Canadian dollars.

There is no additional fee when you pick up your tickets at a station in the city where your train originates. The train station will charge a fee of 5RMB per ticket in other cities.

Payment

Unlike all our competitors, we do not require payment before we purchase the tickets.

In certain cases we may decide to ask for full payment ahead of time or for a deposit. This is usually the case for very large orders and for train departing in the next 15 days.

Customers are expected to pay the invoice within 48 hours. If payment is not received within 48 hours, we may cancel the tickets.

For clients buying tickets for multiple trains, tickets need to be paid before we purchase subsequent tickets.

Tickets for trains to and from Tibet need to be paid in full in advance.

Ticket pick-up

After we receive your payment, we will send you the information required to pick up your tickets:

Text in English and Chinese for the taxi driver to take you to the train station;

Text in English and Chinese for the ticket clerk to retrieve the tickets;

Instructions with photos or videos to help you navigate the train station.

Our train station guides are based on our last visit to such a station. Everything changes continuously in China and we are not responsible for changes not reflected in our instructions.

It is your responsibility to arrive on time to pick up the tickets and catch the train.

Errors

We are responsible if we purchase tickets that do not correspond to your order (wrong train, wrong class or wrong date) you will not have to pay for such tickets. Please advise us promptly so that we can fix the error while tickets are still available.

You are responsible if providing us incorrect names or passport numbers. We do not retype this information in the booking software of the China Railway Corporation. We “copy and paste” to avoid errors on our side. Cancelling and rebooking such incorrect tickets will be at the customer’s expense.

Missed train

We are not responsible if you miss your train because you are late at the station or cannot board the train before its departure for whatever reason.

Nevertheless, you may be able to exchange your tickets as described below.

The China Railway Corporation is responsible if you miss you train due to the late arrival of a prior train. The process is described below.

Cancellation and change policy

Our cancelation and change policy is essentially based on that of the railway company. We apply the policy of the railway company and do not have additional cancelation charges. From time to time, the railway authority will not allow us to cancel or change tickets online. In these circumstances the same conditions outlined below (such as refund percentage) will apply but the ticket holder must go to a train station to make such change in person. In such a case, we will provide you with written instructions in English and Chinese to assist you.

Before we purchase the tickets

At any time before we have purchased your tickets you can change your order or cancel it. There will be no charge whatsoever. If you have prepaid the tickets, the full amount is refundable.

To cancel tickets after purchase

If you have not picked up the paper tickets, we can cancel them electronically. The amount of the refund is reduced as you get closer to the travel date.

Up to 16 days before departure *

Refund 100% of the ticket price

72 hours to 16 days before departure *

Refund 95% of ticket price

48 hours to 72 hours before departure *

Refund 90% of ticket price

24 hours to 48 hours before departure *

Refund 80% of the ticket price

Within 24 hours before departure

Refund 80% of the ticket price in person**

After train departed

No refund

*Based on the time when WE cancel, not when you send your notice. Allow for an extra 24 hours for us to react to your email. Note that the online railway booking website is only open during the day (China time).
** Within 24 hours of departure, tickets can only be cancelled in person at the station. Except for trains to Tibet and certain tourist areas (see exceptions below).

If you picked up the tickets, you need to go to the train station yourself. The same refund amount as above will apply. Keep the receipt. The station will not refund you directly as they credit the bank account used to make payment. We need the receipt to track down the refund. We will refund you as soon as we receive the refund in our bank account.

In all cases (after purchase) our fee is NOT refundable but there is no additional fee to handle the cancelation.

To change tickets after purchase

The railway company determines what tickets can be changed. We are happy to do it for you at no charge if possible under the rules. If you qualify for a change, we have no additional fee to process your change for a small number of tickets. If many tickets need to be cancelled and rebooked, a fee may apply. If you change for a cheaper ticket, the railway company will charge an amount equal to the cancellation penalty (see below) on the price differential.

Change allowed:

For the same passenger and same route

Can change for a different date

Can change for a different train number on the same date

Can change both the date and train number

Can change the destination but not the departure city

Change not allowed:

Change passenger name

Change passport number

Change the departure city

Tibet trains cannot be changed

In the case of an error in the name or passport number or change in the route, the ticket must first be cancelled (subject to the above cancelation fee) then repurchased with the correct information.

We can make these changes online and will send you a new confirmation. If you picked up the tickets already, you need to go to the train station yourself to make these changes.

Note that if we need to cancel a ticket and re-book it, it means that you will no longer be sitting with your travel partners as the new ticket will be a different seat/bed. To keep your group together, all tickets need to be cancelled and rebooked.

Exceptions

Within 24 hours, a ticket can only be changed for another train leaving on the same date (if any are available). The change must be made in person at the train station.

For D trains from Beijing or Shanghai to Guangzhou or Shenzhen, tickets can only be changed for the same train on another date.

For Tibet trains, changes and cancellations must be made in person by the ticket holder at a train station. Refund is made to our bank account and we will refund you. Make sure to send us a copy of your receipt. Such restrictions are also imposed from time to time on trains to popular destinations (such as Zhangjiajie in summer months for example). We will advise you in these cases.

Missing your train

Because your previous train arrives late and you miss the connection

Trains are rarely late in China but it can happen. If your train is late, then it is the responsibility of the train company. Before you arrive at your destination, find the train conductor and using sign language (he or she will most probably not speak any English), show your tickets, pointing at the departure time of your next train. He will stamp your ticket, which will allow you to exchange it. When you arrive at your destination, go to the ticket counter to exchange your ticket for a later one. There will be no charge.

Because YOU arrive late

If you miss your train and you were supposed to ride on a fast train (C, D or G train) then you can go to the station’s ticket counter and exchange your ticket for a later train. You can only exchange for a later train on the same day, if any. For any other train, Z, T, K, L or no letter, you are out of luck and your ticket is void. But we suggest that you still try your luck at the station.

Acts of god / force majeure

In the case of natural disaster (flooding, earthquake, etc.), your train may be cancelled. Generally, the railway company will try to re-route you if possible. This is usually done by cancelling your original ticket. They will ask you to pay for a new ticket. The refund will be to our bank account and we will refund the ticket cost back to you as soon as possible. Remember to send us a copy of the receipt so that we can trace the transaction.